When & How to Change Your Skateboard Wheels | Tactics

Wheels aren't really something you think about until you realize you're pushing twice as much and your rolling really slow. When your skateboard wheels get too small or you get a huge flatspot, it's time for some fresh urethane.
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[@jamflowman8283]

I feel like 80% of the ppl watching just clicked to see those tiny ass wheels hahaha

[@citystarridin]

nectar I did, it brought back memories when I first started going to my old local park seeing all the other kids with worn down wheels like this

[@jonb5310]

not wrong my friend, I've been skating for 15 years and i've never seen wheels that small. felt like i got click baited

[@jason11801]

I needed to know if they were real but no I have seen kids with tiny wheels like me lol

[@8bitflea]

Yup

[@zp7741]

Haha definitely

[@Tj..smoove]

He really hit a pebble just for us... true respect.

[@K-Auss]

😂😂😂😂

[@kschannel9982]

@@K-Auss i mean whats funny

[@christiantheplayer6789]

And Maybe got a flatspot….

[@2aisabsoluteTim]

Lol Gonna take my skateboard, to the tire shop down the road

[@camcane1]

I watched this like I haven't been skating for 10 years lol

[@ReggaeRedeemer]

camcane1 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ReggaeRedeemer]

i was gunna put i watched this cuz i connected with the thumbnail pic haha

[@funkydankspliff]

Not gonna lie I just watch these videos because I get the high of putting on new wheels without actually buying new wheels. Real talk

[@theharvardyard2356]

Same but I never thought of rotating them diagonally, I always just rotated them in a circle. That's actually helpful.

[@SKATE87410]

15+

[@damient9130]

1:13 I like that noise

[@charliebrown1134]

Damien T it reminds me of those videos u see of the a-10s firing the massive gun

[@pianoandeden]

yes.

[@5atarXs]

Yesss me too I thought I was the only one

[@nikinovski]

the equivalent of putting a card on your bike as a kid to make it sound like a motorcycle

[@garrett3055]

Everyone at my park rocked wheels like that when I was a kid lol

[@citrus4419]

Garrett Sludge you must be hella old

[@garrett3055]

Russian Pickle 25

[@jtv0]

I skated in the late 90s and prices then is the same as now. That’s why wheels and trucks were ridden till it actually broke.

[@TysonHook-22-]

@@jtv0 That's partly true, consumers were much more savvy back then of the idea of wanting to get our full moneys worth out of everything we brought... and its truly amazing that the skate industry has never really been effected by inflation, its crazy to think skate gear from shoes to boards and everything inbetween have largely remained the same cost over decades. but beyond the global shift to mass consumerism in a world filled of products built with planned obsolescence... theres also been a general evolution of skateboard gear over the years to lighter components all around but especially trucks... theres also been major advances in urathene technology and many attempts at improving board technoloy/durablity with carbon fibers inserts and what not... these type of advances have dragtically changed the industry allowing skaters to ride wider boards and bigger wheels without all the additional weight that wouldve came along with such a setup back in the 90s. Growing up in the 90s street skaters rode narrow boards and small wheels. You could actually buy sub 50mm wheels at any skate shop back in the 90s, whereas nowadays companies begin there wheel sizing at 50mm. The common street wheels sizes in the 90s were anywhere between 40-50mm... nowadays people ride anything from 50-56mm for street/park skating. Some companes in the 90s even offered wheels that were sub 40mm. Wide boards with big wheels existed in the 90s too but were considered a vert setup back in the day. Nowadays essentially everyone runs a 90s vert setup... which makes a lot of sense considering how popular park skating is these days with true street skating becoming more and more obscure among todays youth skaters... which is simply an interesting observation of mine, since theirs obviously a bunch of other reasons why wide boards and bigger wheels have gained so much popularity but imo theirs definitely a correlation between the popularity of park riding and board and wheel size trends going wider and bigger.

[@onaopemipoadeniyi]

@@TysonHook-22- gard dayumn

[@goodbyeworldhelloalgorythm1871]

i've been learning to skate for a year on a board that a friend set up for me using old parts lying around her house. i've just cruising around getting from point a to point b, haven't learned any tricks yet. finally started looking into upgrading some of the gear and upon googling the wheel brand i discovered that i've been riding on roller skate wheels this whole time 😂

[@memelordrafael4091]

Learned anything yet?

[@josephjohn8623]

@@memelordrafael4091 prob that she was on roller skate wheels

[@tacticsboardshop]

The wheel on the thumbnail is 29mm 🤣 Thanks for watching! If you have more questions, here's the full article: www.tactics.com/info/how-to-change-skateboard-wheels

[@noopdogg_]

Tactics Boardshop you guys should make an app! I would love to be able to get stuff easier from my phone

[@Filipanderssonbeats]

my record is 32

[@karsenic6436]

Tactics Boardshop I kinda want it pleeeeeeasee

[@tacticsboardshop]

@@tby8323 Nope, your bearings will be just fine!

[@whiteboylowelife2161]

Where can you find good wheels and how do you know if they are a good fit for you??? Please answer me I would really appreciate it. Thank you

[@popanollie1]

working on skateboards for years eventually helped me working on cars later in life. learning to feel threads and if they strip and how much pressure to apply when tightening stuff and dealing with thigs that get seized also what to look for in degrading rubber bushings compared to mounts, belts, and ball joints on a car.

[@rocotaco5517]

Oh damn I'll keep that in mind to switch my wheels in a crisscross pattern

[@gatunosk8]

Gosh !! Seen that first wheel took me back to the early 90's when the technical skate was at the top and the wheels started to manufactured small as 35mm as I remember.. then I took dad's drill, put each one of my 55mm Cockroach wheels and against a sandpaper surface we made it to 40's or 38's jajaa the pressure flips and frontside pressures worked soo great that way

[@skinhead-ej8ff]

"Every wheel eventually gets flstspots of various degrees" *laughs in formula 4*

[@cQ2DHPavXTqemm9Vsbgi4TV7x]

skin19head69 Lmaoooo

[@user-md3is4dq2d]

What?

[@arvid2025]

Yes

[@sethnicholls7861]

I to use Formula Fours ONLY now, and very much appreciated your joke! So true, NO FLAT SPOTS EVER!!!!

[@thesuperstomper4776]

I got formula 4, 52mm wheels and have a flat spot thats pretty noticeable. I’ve had them for like 3 months. Not really sure where I went wrong, or maybe just unlucky. I rarely do power slides but skate almost every day.

[@oceantd6041]

Im dumb i always wondered where people got thin wheels😂

[@jemimi1957]

💀

[@BigTrip23]

Thx! It's been like 15yrs give or take a few since I skated. Just jumped back on the board a month ago and it's a breath of fresh air. I got another pair of bearings I wanted to try out and honestly couldn't remember how to get them off. This came right on time.

[@samuelcabe3372]

I love your channel. So well-spoken and informative. 👍🏻

[@hypersin6840]

thank you for making these videos, im not a new skater but all the boards ive gotten until now have been completes and this video and your how to put together a skateboard videos have both been a huge and quick help to putting my new board toghether

[@opticluvsu6255]

Thanks. Tactics, I just got some new reds bearings and I installed them just as you said, and it really helped, they are rolling way better than my old ones😁

[@jacksonthomas0177]

You guys have seriously turned into my favorite skate shop, have your stickers plastered on everything! keep up the good work!

[@arsaeterna4285]

man I miss having hella small 90's wheels when OJs released those dingle berries, I was so happy They need to re-release those

[@tylerrobertsonskateboarding]

Que Dableyou check out boardy cakes wheels. They a new company that specializes in tiny wheels

[@sleepy2287]

check out SML wheels, they sell 40mm

[@anddee4938]

I love these videos. Keep them coming!

[@oliverrutland9321]

I love these vids they are so short and Helpful thank you

[@keepitdialed]

Man, I love how real these guys keep it. So awesome.

[@IanSolano]

Just had an awesome online shopping experience shopping at Tactics. Thanks lads!

[@JesseYiannackopoulos]

This channel helped me learn a lot and is helping me grow my channel!

[@bandguy360]

I remember when I was kid at the park people used to ride with those old tiny wheels. I feel like it was a style thing cuz I havnt seen anyone with those in forever

[@f.ttg535]

Always order my stuff from tactics, good stuff 👍

[@lucaa482]

I skate for 5 years now and this is still helpfull

[@nite_owl_was_here]

this is some good information, took me a long time to figure this stuff out.

[@SleeTheSloth]

Great video! I'm a new be to skateboarding and need to change the wheels for my daughter. getting them there bearings out was my issue. Thanks. :)

[@tubejube9474]

that was the most peaceful video of the day. Subscribed!

[@bigwillyhaver1975]

1:14 so fuckin smooth

[@Tr6sher]

Been skating for 6 years I've still haven't been blessed with a flat spot. Formula 4s is the way to go

[@ashmyblunt]

Do you do power slides or revert your tricks a lot tho?

[@Retibra]

Lucky I've been skating for six months and got my first ever flat spot from a bs 180 a week ago :(

[@ironninja9873]

Wt s a fórmula 4?

[@tacticsboardshop]

@@ironninja9873 Formula 4 is Spitfire wheels' name for their proprietary chemical formula of urethane for their top tier skate wheels. Similar to Bones and their STF (Street Tech Formula) wheels. I hope that answered your question. Cheers! - Tim

[@leredditcommander8208]

This guy probably aint even trying or doesnt skate hard. My wheels lasted for YEARS, until i started to revert my tricks or try harder tricks that i couldn't "set straight" before landing, now they last 3 or 4 months before they sound like a motorcycle. Obviously wheels are still fine, but i hate that sound and also they are slower and that really matters when riding transition. For streets dudes, you can probably skate the wheels from 54mm to 49mm without issue.

[@christianbaier121]

Nice job on the 100k subs :)

[@isaacrosette3324]

G thanks now I will show all my friends how good my wheels are and my sick tricks like I said thank to you

[@Melmac1756]

I watch this like I haven’t been skating since 1986 lol However I love that you guys take the time and do stuff like this..for New school, Old school or even Middle school skaters! Keep up the love for the lifestyle! Keep up the awesome work! Be safe out there all of y’all guys there at Tactics! My son and I will continue to support you guys! Truly thanks a bunch! You guys make a difference even if you don’t know that you do. 👍🤘✊🤙 🛹 🤗

[@tacticsboardshop]

Thank you for the support! We do it for the love of skateboarding! Take care! 💖

[@kevinp1748]

I remember getting my first board from your location in bend 10/10 shop

[@drill4408]

Can you guys review the new Bones v6 wheel that came out? 👊🏻✨

[@obmguitarist]

Enjoi that fresh urethane....love the captions!

[@tacticsboardshop]

Glad someone noticed! 😆💚

[@Sameoldage]

I loved wheels under 44mm.. but I also loved the oj dingle berries and rocked em for a minute

[@EffoVexx]

1:10 OMG THATS STEENS SKATE PARK! THATS MY LOCAL SKATE PARK!!!!

[@MicahGaede]

I skate at steens too 😳

[@JerseyDevils21]

@@MicahGaede yall should do a skate sesh together lol

[@victraguiera3802]

@@JerseyDevils21 yuppp they should

[@thecamstone]

I live in Eugene OR and Tactics is the best shop around. Friendly knowledgeable staff (that actually skate) and great service. I will always go to tactics before shopping online or going to *cough* Zumiez *cough*

[@gorryman]

This actually really informative seeing kids with coned out wheels who have never heard of rotation bums me out that should be a featured video in and of itself if the title had wheel rotation in it I bet a lot of newbs would click it

[@jos4phh]

Thank you for helping me put on y new wheels

[@hadensbigfatclipstackaroon2695]

If you use spacers you can tighten the nut until it's touching. I wouldn't crank it down though, just until it's touching and maybe an eighth of a turn extra to keep it touching over time as it loosens up from the wheel spinning. As we all learned in science class, the spacers push back the same amount that the nut pushes on them, so the wheel can still spin freely without any wiggle room. This prevents certain problems with the wheel being able to go slightly diagonal on the axle and grind the internal components of the bearing together, thus extending the life of your bearings.

[@dorianwoodwork]

Nice video and keep it up!

[@arunthompson6081]

Yo my man! Loved the video - super clean and simple. I've just bought a new board and I noticed some slight wobble with it as well as one wheel stopping slightly before the others. I'd love to see how to do a once over of the board to see that it's running smoothly. Some questions I would love answered are: How long should my wheels spin for? How close together should they stop? How straight should my board roll if I let it free-wheel without standing on it, etc. Cheers, bud!

[@tacticsboardshop]

It's very normal for one or two of the wheels to stop before the others. If they all can freely spin for 10+ seconds then you don't have anything to worry about. It's only really a problem if they stop abruptly after a few seconds. New trucks/bushings can be a bit sticky before they're broken in, so they'll stick in place and make your board auto-turn when you let it roll on its own. Just keep skating them and they'll break in and the auto-turn will fix itself. I hope that helps! - Tim

[@arunthompson6081]

@@tacticsboardshop Legend. Thank you so much!

[@haxplcz2080]

Gotta love Tim

[@angelvelazquez3709]

I have the exact spitfire formula four wheels the blue ones man their amazing

[@GamingCornerYT]

I’ve got the same formula four 👌🏻 and have the graphics inside 👌🏻

[@seth_ap148]

I bought a board from Braille about 5 months ago, and the wheels still have the little tread ridges on them, I’ve been riding a lot too mostly on rough pavement. Must be really shredding to get them down to 29mm.

[@bgoutdoors802]

Depending on how big and deep the flat spot is some machine shops with a lathe will machine your wheel down a mm or 2 to get rid of the flat spot and not sacrifice to much urethane

[@ChristopherHallett]

I know there are a lot of differences between this and rollerskating, but my partner skates derby and we were wasting SO MUCH money on expensive bearings. After going through $1200 worth of bearings in one year (!!) despite cleaning and lubing them before every meet and practice session, out of desperation I went to the bearing shop I often go to as a truck mechanic and bought some sealed bearings from F.A.G. for $2.50 each. Two years later they're still perfect and we haven't cleaned or lubed them once. $1200/year vs. $20/year simply cannot be beaten. If you're an idiot and the thought of rolling around on that particular brand of bearings is off-putting, then just get the same thing from a different major industrial bearing brand like SKF, Koyo, or Timken.

[@actualdbondz]

i looked at the thumbnail and thought to myself ‘are those my wheels?’ lol

[@fr0z342]

This video taught me how to remove and apply bearings

[@trnxjd4549]

yo, if you are reading this, here is how i got rid of my flat spot on my wheels, i took off all wheels and put one on a screwdriver at a time and held the wheel and the screwdriver around 20 degrees (slanted a little downwards) on a grind wheel until they were all smooth and all the same size and then smoothed them all out with a 1,000 grit sandpaper. so there is my hack i guess.

[@leredditcommander8208]

Thats the flintstones method. Better find someone who works at a shop with a lathe machine and just tell them to shave them until they are even, they will probably shave like 0.5mm off but the finish will be like brand new wheels.

[@JAG05]

Finally someone makes a video about this

[@jaykim5720]

Can you do a when and how to change your deck

[@Kekese]

Finally got my first flatspot after 7 months, Yes!!

[@tenspeed7711]

I remember grinding my wheels down one time as a kid....never did that again haha

[@Stiizy_kid_next_door]

I just ordered new wheels from you thanks you ship it really fast and love the wheels btw the wheels I got are OJ wheels 54mm and the durometer 101

[@tacticsboardshop]

Thanks for the Support! 🙌💖 I hope you love those wheels! 🔥

[@julianserrato753]

I just bought a whole setup off you guys

[@tylerv8233]

Very good content.

[@geronimopre9736]

Thanks a lot

[@ave7949]

i just need to know how to change them. i’m just starting to learn to skate and i ordered softer wheels. i’ve been long boarding for like over 4 months and i’m used to softer wheels.

[@applejacks8160]

I found the best way to get rid of flat spots... She won’t talk to me anymore though.

[@TOXlCMANE]

Oh shit

[@nehemiahzo_]

Dammmnnnn

[@roastbeefy0weefy]

i don't get it

[@2uldgang892]

flatspots:exist bones wheels:we dont do that here

[@leredditcommander8208]

true, i had the same wheels for almost 10 years now and still look pretty good, a few cuts here and there but nothing big and it doesnt sound like a motorcycle. When i bought the wheels back then i actually bought 2 sets because i thought they were not going to last more than 2 years.

[@Sinterpiece]

Haha YES! those are the wheels I was watching this video for, they should arrive tomorrow or on the 3rd of August, i feel complete 💃

[@thomasevans3060]

Love the thumbnail

[@rubenlopez4341]

The way I take out bearings is by throwing the wheel on the ground have one come out and push the other one out

[@isaacoliveira33]

OMG THAT INTRO SO SATISFYING

[@l2k166]

Very useful for me I couldnt believe how dirty my hands were changing out my first wheels 😭

[@error_not_found-666]

I ordered those spitfire f4 conical full and they got to me in 2 days.

[@evan937]

I have had the same set of bones for years. They make the best wheels.

[@Skateboardisart]

Wife's and formula fours

[@iaganfoss]

My first wheels were spitfires, im still riding them today with no flat spots. But they are lookin like they at a solid 45mm Instead of when i got them they used to be 53mm

[@rudybankhead]

What’s crazy back in elementary school, me and my homies always raced to see who can have the smallest wheels for some reason

[@icarusshepherd1724]

Gripping board is the most satisfying thing ever

[@AMMAZZARE]

That wheel in the thumbnail was the desired size in 1993 lol. You’d buy them as 39mm and be like “These are too big. I gotta wear them in.”😂

[@rubikskiller3658]

Thanks

[@On.Air.27]

Great powerslides

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@jdoriginals9223]

My friend got the same wheels of that thumbnail! I tried his board and its like skating bearings lol

[@vendetta1719]

That’s last clip is at the Winston skatepark in Oregon😂

[@samuelgriffin9934]

whats the best kinf of wheel and the best diameter for transportation, speed, and maybe doing a few tricks every now and then?

[@tacticsboardshop]

Go for some soft wheels that have a slightly smaller diameter (53 - 55mm) like the Ricta Clouds or the OJ Plain Jane Keyframes, or the OJ Mini Super Juice Wheels. 👍 - Tim

[@apollo5684]

To good!

[@chrismaw5117]

Dam I remember skating the oldschool micro wheels

[@magnusnording]

Love wheel graphics, show em til theyre gone :)

[@bhavaymeena7505]

thankyou

[@groovefretboard]

Only suggestion is use a full size gripper wrench on the wheel use a towel on the wheel to pry the bearing. Using your hand is impossible sometimes

[@quintrillionare]

Is there that powerslide video up on YT somewhere?

[@shattikbruh4948]

Plenty

[@martinsinc8491]

My wheels are square RN so this helped

[@michigangromedits8184]

What wheels do you like the most? Mine are just rubber not urethane

[@yuhboidanielog945]

Ayeee my bro just bought a almost complete from u guys

[@Astro80s]

I havent skated in 6 months i sold my board now i wanna skate again

[@patrikzvonek6740]

Nice!!!in this video Is no Scooter discrimination

[@JMLockpicking]

Nice vid...so you use two bears per wheel?

[@tacticsboardshop]

Yup, one bearing in each side of the wheel!

[@BlazeUpMaryJane]

I remember when i use to skate, my boards wheels would forever spin (legit like 5 minutes or more non stop & everyone at the skate park wanted to buy my board / steal my board / or try to play skate to win it . my dads white hippie friend who he worked with at a bakery set it up for me i was so happy lmfaoooo i dont skate no more its been years.. i miss dropping in and going down big ass ramps not the basic size ones at the skateparks but aye that phase of my life was cool tho hahahaa...

[@williesctt5]

E I say you should set up a board and go cruising and eventually relearn the flatground tricks . It’ll be the best decision you’ll make .

[@BlazeUpMaryJane]

@@williesctt5 will do man !

[@aeneahester9091]

Do you need to have bearing spacers?

[@rXHrzn]

Yoooo that thumbnail pic 😂

[@johnnyhiggins4584]

Heat gun

[@fancycat5669]

1:13 is that the noise of the bearings or is it run down wheels? My board has done it like once or twice but now it never does that. I loooove the noise tho

[@tacticsboardshop]

That's the sound of worn out wheels. Usually the flat spot works itself out after rolling on enough rough pavement. But really bad flat spots are super distracting and annoying. Cheers! - Tim

[@pigmentpeddler5811]

I kinda like the BRRRR sound of those flat wheels haha

[@DmanGuitar327]

With spacers, are you suppose to let wheel wiggle, but not be able to slide up n down on the axle?

[@tacticsboardshop]

If you're using bearing spacers, (the one that goes inside the wheel and not the little speed washers that go to the outside of the bearings) you can tighten the axle nut all the way down and the bearing will still spin freely. If you don't use the bearing spacer, then you'll have to give it a tiny bit of slack to spin freely, but you shouldn't be able to see it shift on the axle. The amount of wiggle room should be less than a millimeter. I pretty much never use bearing spacers, and I usually just tighten the nut all the way, then just loosen it by approx. a 1/4 turn. I hope that was clear. Cheers! - Tim